The Memory Palace: A Brief Review

February 28, 2014

Anybody who has seen the BBC series 'Sherlock' will be familiar with the concept of a memory palace. A place that exists both in our heads and in the environment around us it is a reflection of who and where we live our lives. In 'The Memory Palace' Edward Hollis deconstructs the things that define these interior spaces which only exist for a short time before they either change or disappear altogether.

This is a worthy read for anybody who loves architecture, psychology, or just likes to expand their horizons. Read on for more thoughts on why everybody should pick up a copy from the local library.

Form Follows Forces

February 24, 2014

If you are like me you had never heard of Horsey Horseless before World IA Day. A strange hybrid created during the awkward transition from buggy to automobile it is a failure at both.

In showing how the information revolution has followed a faster paced track of the industrial revolution Dan Klyn and Abby Covert did an excellent job of framing the problems facing the community.

My notes from the talk are presented below.

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The Principles of Beautiful Web Design

February 21, 2012

If you have been doing development for a while, or just find yourself design challenged, there are shelves of books you can pick up to help you understand key principles. Some are better than others - where does The Principles of Beautiful Web Design by Jason Beaird stand? I think it deserves serious consideration.

The Pleasures of Reading

January 30, 2012

As designers and programmers it is tempting to think that digital is always a "better" format. Digital formats let us compact what would have taken rows of bookshelves into devices that weigh mere ounces. It allows us to aggregate and process vast amounts of information more easily than at any time in history.

Animated sliding tabs in CSS3

December 5, 2011

I was thinking about different effects today that can be used to make design a little more playful with minimal work. After looking at a few sites I began to wonder just how hard it would be to implement a sliding tab. As it turns out all you really need is a handful of CSS3. Within ten minutes you too can add more interactive effects without relying on Flash or jQuery.